Baloch woman who fled home to escape domestic violence faces repatriation

The process to repatriate the Baloch woman who entered India illegally has begun. Humaira, a mother of two girls aged three and four, was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans at the Vijeta border check-post in Sriganganagar at 5 am on March 17.

After four days of interrogation, the joint investigation agencies did not find anything suspicious.

Sources said after getting the nod from the Centre, Humaira would be sent back to Pakistan. The sources said she mustered the courage to cross the International Border (IB) due to domestic violence. A mobile phone was seized from her at the time of her arrest.

During questioning, Humaira said she was a victim of domestic violence and felt unsafe due to turbulent history of Balochistan.

Humaira was married to Wasim, who does business in Balochistan and Muscat. Her passport had an entry stamp from Muscat, and she claimed that her husband and in-laws subjected her to mistreatment. Desperate for a safer life, she tried to find refuge in an Arab country. However, as her husband allegedly denied her the necessary documents for a visa, she chose to enter India illegally.

While living at her parents’ house in Karachi, she searched online for ways to enter India. After reaching Bahawalpur from Karachi, she walked to the border and spent the night at a nearby shrine. In the morning, she entered the Indian territory, where she was caught by the BSF personnel.